Western Sahara is a disputed territory in north-west Africa. It lies south of Morocco, north-east of Mauritania, and west of Algeria. It was formerly known as Spanish Sahara, until Spain’s withdrawal in 1975. The region has since been claimed primarily by Morocco and by the Polisario Front, an independence movement supported by Algeria.
French president Emmanuel Macron officially endorsed Morocco’s 2007 autonomy plan for Western Sahara in a 2024 letter sent to King Mohammed VI. He saw it as a viable solution to a conflict that has lasted nearly 50 years. The plan proposes that Western Sahara be given a high degree of self-governance, but under Moroccan sovereignty.
In protest against this decision, the Algerian government recalled its ambassador to Paris.
